May 29--Blackhawks center Antoine Vermette has been close to the Stanley Cup, but he never got to hold it.
Vermette was with the 2007 Senators who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final against the Teemu Selanne-led Ducks, who won the series in five games.
Vermette came close again in 2012, but his Coyotes lost in five games to the Kings in the Western Conference finals.
Now that Vermette, 32, is close again, with Game 7 of the conference finals looming Saturday against the Ducks, he wants to make sure he gets another crack at the Cup in what might be his only season with the Hawks.
"I don't take it for granted," Vermette said. "I was with Ottawa and had a great team. As a young guy, older guys (made sure you) realize the fortune you have to have such a great team.
"As the course of a career goes on, time goes by quick. Those chances, they don't come by too many times."
After watching the Hawks from afar for most of his career, Vermette said he hasn't been surprised by how they have handled adversity in the playoffs.
"It's something I expected," said Vermette, who scored the winning goal in Game 4 in the second overtime. "This is a confident group, with reason. They've been really successful. It reflects the way they present themselves. As a group, they've seen tough situations.
"You get the sense that we can get it done, prepare, come with great confidence."
Faceoff wins: Vermette gave the Hawks a boost at the faceoff dot in Game 6 on Wednesday, when the Hawks won 66 percent of faceoffs. Vermette won 8 of 12.
He said home ice may have had something to do with that.
"Usually the home ice, the faceoff man has the advantage to come second," Vermette said. "Sometimes you get a little bit of cheating going on there. You try to take advantage as much as you can, try to give your team the best chance to start with the puck."
The faceoff battle had been pretty even through the first four games with the Ducks winning 60 percent in Game 5.
Start date: Regardless of who is in the Stanley Cup Final, it will begin Wednesday, the league announced. Game 2 will be on Saturday, June 6.
If the Hawks beat the Ducks on Saturday, they will begin the series on the road against the Lightning or Rangers because both finished the regular season with more points than the Hawks.
One-timers: Coach Joel Quenneville was asked if he has been watching the Eastern Conference finals. "Watch every game," he said. So is he watching for fun or is he scouting? "I'm watching it to get entertained," Quenneville said. ... Quenneville gave his typical non-answer of "We'll see" when asked if he would stick with the same lines for Game 7 after pairing Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the top line in Game 6.
chine@tribpub.com
